


Eleutheromania

by orphan_account



Series: the beautiful and the profound (words) [12]
Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Band, Art School, Blue haired josh, First Kiss, First Meeting, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Photography, art gallery, artist!tyler, idk what to tag its just really soft, josh cries a lot, josh is soft and sad, sweater paws, tyler just wants to protect him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-12-04 16:29:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11559057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: (n.) an intense and irresistible desire for freedom.This boy was different, he was soft. Soft brown curls, soft chubby fingers, soft grey sweater that pooled at his hips and wrapped tightly around his fists, soft sobs.Soft."This kid coulda picked any other painting." Mark said under his breath.





	Eleutheromania

He was crying. Legs pulled tight to his chest so he could rest his head on his exposed knees. He sobbed softly, as though in a soundproof bubble and Tyler's heart ached. He blinked at the click of his camera, something in him felt wrong for taking a photo but it was what he had come to do, to find raw emotion in response to art.

To watch the most human experiences with a backdrop of art that imitated them.

But this boy was different, he was soft. Soft brown curls, soft chubby fingers, soft grey sweater that pooled at his hips and wrapped tightly around his fists, soft sobs. _Soft_.

The painting he was sat in front of wasn't sad, and that's what made him so curious about the boy, why he would come straight over to that painting, eyes already dripping tears and sit in front of it staring at it with blank eyes until he curled in on himself like a wounded animal.

Mark furrowed his brow beside him. "This kid coulda picked any other painting." He said under his breath and then looked to Tyler, studying the way he was watching him, knowing.

"People hurt for lots of reasons." Tyler replied finally tearing his eyes away and stepping into the next room to find someone else to photograph.

Mark's own gaze lingered on the sad boy before fiddling with a camera lens and following his friend.

The boy came back the next day, he sat in front of the same painting, his eyes glazed over as though looking straight through it. Tyler stopped dead in his tracks as he entered the room and saw him.

He was in the same ripped knee jeans and docks as always but this time he had a baby blue hoodie the sleeves pulled over his hands again.

He sat so still he could be mistaken for another exhibit, another piece of the art and Tyler couldn't stop himself from taking another photo.

A photo he found himself looking back over at eleven pm that night. He'd gone straight to it in his gallery when he'd copied his camera's SD card to his laptop. He zoomed in on it, letting out an interested hum when he saw the tiny glint of a silver nose ring, taking in the soft freckles he uncovered with a bit of fiddling on Photoshop.

Tyler's heart skipped when he was there again. His eyes less glassy, same jeans, same docks, a soft pink hoodie this time, it made Tyler look down and his own mustard yellow one that he was wearing and wrinkle his nose.

The boy seemed to be talking to himself, occasionally looking down at his lap as he fiddled with his sleeve and Tyler didn't take a photo this time, instead he lingered nearby hoping to overhear something to know if the soft boy also had a soft voice. He took a picture of a couple kissing in front of a piece called "two lovers" as he moved to sit on the corner of the bench.

Facing the opposite wall to the picture, but the boy had stopped mumbling. Tyler felt his whole body shake as he considered turning to the sad soft boy when someone else sat next to him. Tyler listened in then pretending to look at the art around him.

"Come home." The older woman pleaded and the soft boy took a shuddering breath.

He shook his head, "I can't". His voice was a deep hum, raw and broken and Tyler's heart skipped.

The boy wasn't there the next day or the day after and Tyler wondered if he'd imagined him, but the photos didn't lie.

He worried for him and he thought about him and he held his breath every time he walked into the room with _the_ painting as though he might appear but he didn't.

Tyler's heart stopped when he saw the boy again, he almost didn't recognise him at first, his hair was cotton candy blue and just as soft, his face dimpled at the soft smile he wore as he clutched the edge of the seat and looked up at the picture.

His sweater was grey and covered in holes but the sleeves still fit neatly around his hands leaving only soft fingers to peak out.

Tyler heard a camera click beside him and turned to see Mark taking a picture. Without a word, Mark nodded his head at him and walked away. Tyler steeled himself before cautiously approaching the boy. His vans squeaked as he walked but the boy was so lost he couldn't hear Tyler approaching and he jumped a little when Tyler sat beside him.

"Why this painting?" Tyler asked his voice pitchy from nerves, he tried to subtly clear his throat.

The boy looked at him with his head cocked like a confused puppy.

"This is the fourth time this week you’ve sat in front of that same picture and i just wondered why it was so special?"

"Were you... stalking me?" The boy asked, voice soft like velvet and Tyler blushed and shook his head.

"I’m an art student I basically live here until finals." Tyler replied shaking the camera in his hand as if to prove his point.

The boy wore a soft smirk, he pointed at the camera. "Stalkers also have cameras."

"You got me." Tyler joked putting his hands in the air with a mock gasp. The boy let out a soft chuckle, teeth trapping his tongue as he softly shook his head.

"You didn't answer my question." Tyler said when silence hung over the pair.

There was long pause as the boy stared at it for a while, brow creased.

"It's happy." He said with a small frown, before he stood up and turned to leave.

Tyler instantly followed after him.

"Wait, I don't know your name? I'm Tyler." He held out his hand, the sad boy looked at it for a long time before cautiously wrapping his own around it, thick sweater trapped between their skin.

"I'm Josh." He said softly, biting his lip and then walking away.

He was there again the next day, a blank expression on his face as he studied the painting yet again, he squinted his eyes and tilted his head as though he’d found something new within it. Tyler’s heart thudded loudly in his ears as he slowly slid into the space beside Josh. 

The sad boy instantly pulled the sleeves of his grey sweater over his fists again. But he wore a soft smile as he turned to look at Tyler and Tyler felt his cheeks tinge pink. 

The next day he came back, but this time he looked around himself, bouncing a leg anxiously as he worried at his bottom lip and fiddled with the snapback he was wearing, tucking his hair in it. His face lit up when Tyler walked into the room, looking up from his camera to see Josh’s brilliant smile, blushing before heading over on wobbly legs. 

The day after he sat and waited and smiled when Tyler materialised by his side. And the day after that and the day after too and so on. Each day happier than the last, cheeks pinker, eyes brighter, smile wider. Tyler was in awe of how someone who glowed so brightly could ever have the capacity to be so sad, he grew angry at the thought that anything would have made him feel that way. Each day they talked more and learnt more about one another, rest of the world forgotten, until some days they talked so long security told them it was closing time. 

Then one day Josh didn’t show and Tyler’s heart felt heavy. 

The next day he was back, back in front of the painting, back to sobbing softly into his sweater sleeves and Tyler’s heart shattered. He sat silently beside him, gasping softly when Josh slid his arms around Tyler’s shoulders and buried his head into his neck, soft wet lashes brushing Tyler’s skin. Tyler’s heart ached and he clung back to the boy instantly, holding him and closing his eyes when the painting stared back at him mockingly. 

The next day Josh wore a grey beanie pulled over his soft faded curls, heavy bags hung under his eyes and his hoodie sleeves covered his hands yet again. Tyler sat beside him wordlessly, and welcomed the soft boy’s head as it rested on his shoulder. 

“Why this painting?” Tyler asked softly, everything about this boy was soft like cotton candy and warm sunsets and fluffy blankets, he needed soft care and gentle love and Tyler’s heart hoped with every fibre of his being that he could be the one to provide it. 

“I told you, it’s happy.” He said sadly, voice rough from un-spilled tears. Tyler frowned and slid a hand over Josh’s covered fists, holding one between his slender fingers. 

“There’s more to it than that.” Tyler replied knowingly and Josh lifted his head to look at him. 

The soft boy looked at him with soft eyes before sighing and ducking his head. 

“I don’t know…” He trailed off before turning back to the painting. He studied it with a deep breath. “The content is happy, and yet you can tell the artist wasn’t, or isn’t, but they want to be. It feels like hope, like they know things can get better and they’re desperate for it, they want it so much and I-I feel it, in my soul, that longing for things to be okay. For the happiness to be real, not forced.”

He froze when Tyler lifted a hand to wipe away a tear that he hadn’t even realised had slipped down his soft cheek. Tyler’s own eyes were glassy. 

“No one else has understood that before, this is my favourite too.” Tyler said sniffing and Josh cautiously brought his hands to his neck. Both boys leaning closer slowly before their lips were brushing tentatively, a little chapped and sticking but it was enough to make their chests fuzzy and their cheeks warm. They kissed slowly, smiling as they pulled apart. 

Tyler bit his lip as they rested their foreheads together, he nudged their noses together before pulling back a little. “Do you know what this painting is called?” He asked and Josh nodded. 

“Eleutheromania, it means an intense desire for freedom.” Josh replied and Tyler nodded. He took a deep breath. 

“Do you know who painted it?”

Josh nodded, eyes questioning as he replied “T. R. Joseph.”

“Tyler Robert Joseph, nice to meet you.” Tyler smiled, laughing at the pure shock on Josh’s face, it quickly melted into awe. 

“This is- _you_ painted this?” Josh asked almost embarrassed. He scoffed and put a hand onto his soft grey beanie. 

“My first art final, the gallery director came to an exhibition at the college and they insisted on buying it.” Tyler shrugged. “I think maybe she got it but she didn’t say anything, not like what you said.” Tyler blushed and picked at a thread on his jeans. 

Josh took Tyler’s face into his sweater covered hands, his fingertips cold where they poked out of the worn material. “You’re amazing.” He said breathlessly and Tyler’s heart skipped. Their lips met once again and the moment sealed itself forever in both boy’s hearts. 

…

“Why aren’t you coming today?” Tyler asked as he fiddled with his camera in the bedroom doorway. Mark looked up from his laptop. 

“Because I got my pictures. I don’t need anymore.”

“What, _how_?!” He asked and Mark smirked before turning his laptop around so Tyler could see as he clicked through his final project. Tyler’s eyes widened in awe. 

While Tyler gathered his last few pictures for his own project Josh followed him, holding his hand as they strolled through the gallery and talked softly until Tyler found something to photograph and then Josh would watch him. Studying the way his brow creased in concentration and his lips parted. When he’d finished, Josh kissed him and Tyler couldn’t help the goofy grin on his face. 

“What was that for?”

“You’re my favourite artist and my favourite work of art.” He shrugged and Tyler blushed and ducked his head, rolling his eyes playfully before kissing him again. 

A few months later and Tyler took Josh to his end of year exhibit. He bit his lip as he led Josh into the room that held Mark’s exhibit, smiling as Josh gasped. There was a curved wall that displayed a timeline of photos. 

It started with a picture like the one Tyler took of Josh crying in front of the painting. Next was a picture of Tyler sitting with his back to him, both boys looking in opposite directions. The next was when Tyler had first sat beside him and they’d spoken. Next was the pair laughing a few days later, and then Josh crying on Tyler’s shoulder. The last was their first kiss. You couldn’t see their faces well but it still portrayed the raw emotions that the pair had experienced. Josh blushed and looked up at Tyler. 

“It’s called ‘The Sad Boy and the Artist’.” Tyler shrugged. 

Josh’s eyes were wet with unspilled tears as he pulled Tyler closer. “I’m not sad anymore.” He said and Tyler smiled and brushed a thumb across his cheek. “You changed that.” He smiled shyly. 

“Yeah?” Tyler asked searching his eyes, Josh nodded and bit his lip. “You changed everything.” Tyler said before their lips met, kissing passionately with the overflow of emotion. They pulled apart from the intense kiss at the sound of a camera clicking, both boys turning to see Mark holding his camera. 

“I needed one last picture.” He said sheepishly and Tyler shook his head, both boys laughing as Josh hid his face in Tyler’s shoulder. Tyler pressed a kiss into his soft curls as his chest fluttered at the thought of holding onto the soft boy for the rest of his life, if only to make sure he was never sad and alone again.


End file.
